RIVERSIDE`S APPALLING RECORD SPEAKS FOR ITSELF

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Sarah Paton and the

commitment phobe

It sparks off many a joke in the office…the commitment phobe.  The man -usually it is  a man -  who struggles to makecommitment to a relationship with a woman. So we have a laugh about him and pull his leg.

But commitment phobe is no joke or leg pull to some others in a similar plight as the disappointed woman. For  example, Carlisle city councillors.

The councillors could be said to be victims of a commitment phobe in their relationship with the city`s biggest landlord, the giant Riverside Housing Association which owns 50,000 properties nationwide.

A commitment phobe is what the councillors implied a month ago after criticising Riverside, notably criticising the extent of its commitment to the city and its communities.

This is what the councillors said:

“ Members felt that the community commitment that Riverside had shown at the time of the transfer had diminished and they were disappointed that Riverside had not consulted or communicated any changes in recent months with the Council directly”.

The criticism came during questioning of Ms Sarah Paton, the new boss of Riverside in Carlisle and the  organisation`s North Regional Director at a meeting of the council`s Community Overview and Scrutiny Panel a month ago.

Is Riverside  a commitment phobe as the councillors appear to allege?

Ms Paton gets a chance to answer that accusation when she returns to again address  the panel on Thursday.

Of course she will deny it.

But Riverside`s 14 year appalling record  running its 6,000 Carlisle properties backs up the councillors. It is a record of closing down community groups as a matter of policy and threatening those groups that remain with its obnoxious Persistent Complaints Procedure.

Pity the victims of this appalling procedure.They face  a dictatorial Riverside regime acting as policeman, prosecuter,  judge and jury.

And there is no appeal.

  Carlisle Tenants` and Residents` Federation publishes this blog. Information about the Federation is available on 01228 522277 or 01228 532803.